The invention relates generally to compaction machines, such as those used to compact landfills and, more particularly, to a compactor wheel on such a compaction machine, with the compactor wheel designed to provide consistent static ground pressure to force mud and other adhesive materials free of the wheel body, while constricting and holding loose debris so as to reduce fly-away debris.
Compaction machines are used to compact landfill sites, garbage dumps and other such locations. These machines typically include a self-propelled vehicle having four large compactor wheels made of steel. Each compactor wheel has a hub mounted to one end of an axle and a rim disposed around and radially out from the hub. The rim typically includes an outer wrapper on which a plurality of cleats is usually mounted. The design of conventional compactor wheels varies widely, but in general a compactor wheel is designed to compress (i.e., compact) the waste by concentrating the weight of the compaction machine on the relatively small area of the cleats and to break apart waste by imparting breaking forces thereon.
While existing compactor wheel designs are generally sufficient for compacting waste, there are recognized shortcomings with existing compactor wheels. An example of one problem encountered with existing compactor wheel designs is that material can build-up on the wheel over time. That is, as the compactor wheel traverses the surface of the landfill and waste is compressed by the wheel, mud and other adhesive materials may build-up on the wheel body and about the cleats. Such accumulation of material on the compactor wheel is undesirable, as it minimizes the efficiency of the wheel with respect to its ability to impart compression and breaking forces on the waste being compacted and to provide traction to the compaction machine.
Another problem encountered with existing compactor wheel designs is that, depending on the material/surface being traversed, the design of the compactor wheel may not provide sufficient traction to the compaction machine. That is, in some instances, the tractive depth of the cleats—i.e., the height that the cleats extend from the wheel body—may not be great enough so as to provide sufficient traction for the compactor wheel, as may occur when the material/surface being traversed is exceedingly pliant/spongy.
Still another problem encountered with existing compactor wheel designs is that loose waste, such as paper and light-weight plastics, may be prone to flying away from and off of the compactor wheel. That is, as the design of the compactor wheel does not provide an effective manner of folding, constricting and holding loose debris, such debris may fly away from the compactor wheel after compaction thereby.
It would therefore be desirable to have a compactor wheel that minimizes the build-up of material thereon, provides sufficient traction for the compaction machine, and reduces the likelihood of fly-away debris.